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KPIX Sky Drone 5: Repairs Underway To San Jose’s Alum Rock Park

SAN JOSE (CBS SF) – Tucked away in San Jose’s east foothills, Alum Rock Park is a getaway that has been a destination for hikers and nature lovers for years.

But then came the winter rains and the park suffered extensive damage, forcing it to be closed for the last five weeks to the public.

“The heavy rains did a lot of damage,” said Ed Bautista, a spokesman for San Jose’s Park and Recreation Department. “There were a lot of fallen trees – of course. There were a lot mudslides — even some structural damage to buildings where mudslides came down.”

Repairs to the ranger station and roads in and out of the park have been slow and expensive. The total pricetag could top $1 million.

Adding to the challenges was the fact that work crews have been busy repairing damage and cleaning up after the Coyote Creek overflowed and flooded several neighborhoods elsewhere in the city of San Jose.

But the repair effort at the park is now in high gear. While there is not ETA, officials hope to have the park reopened in the near future.

“We’re not going to open it up until it’s safe to the public,” Bautista said. “It’s a natural park… It’s up in the mountains. And we have to make sure everything about the park is safe.”